The Pleasantview Diaries
by bglion93
Summary: My first fan-fiction story! I started playing the Sims 2 again, and was reminded of how much I loved the characters and their stories. Would love some feedback!
1. Chapter 1: The Goths

Cassandra Goth stared into the mirror as she pulled her dark hair into a bun. _When was the last time I didn't wear my hair in pigtails?_ she wondered. Her fiancé Don had recently told her she should try "something different" with her hair. His comment stung at first, but she realised it was time to move on. As a young girl, her mother had always brushed Cassandra's hair into pigtails. After Bella mysteriously disappeared ten years ago, Cassandra found herself automatically recreating her mother's favoured do each morning. Any other style didn't look quite right.

Cassandra took a few seconds to contemplate the final product. As expected, it didn't look perfect. The bun wasn't placed quite in the centre of her head. A few strands were loose at the front. Cassandra deliberately tore her gaze from the mirror. _It's been a long time since I've worn a different hairstyle,_ she declared. _Practise will make perfect._

Mortimer Goth looked up from his coffee and newspaper when he heard his daughter walking down the stairs. _What is that on her head?_ Mortimer wondered.

"Good morning, Cassie…." Mortimer sounded confused.

"What's the matter?" Cassandra asked hesitantly, guessing it had something to do with her hair.

After a moment's pause, Mortimer replied, 'Nothing! Your hair looks… different.'

Cassandra frowned.

Realising his comment had hurt her, Mortimer added, 'Not in a bad way!'

Mortimer put down his newspaper, moved towards his daughter, held her shoulders and planted a firm kiss on her cheek.

'You look beautiful as always,' he said, his eyes twinkling, 'We just haven't seen you without pigtails since you were in school!'

'I know it's not perfect,' Cassandra replied as she moved towards the fridge, 'But I feel like trying something new.'

Noticing Cassandra was avoiding his eyes, Mortimer grew suspicious.

'Did Don tell you to try a new hairstyle?'

Cassandra paused as she pulled the ingredients to make a sandwich from the refrigerator.

'Yes,' she sighed, 'But he's right. It's time to -'

'He has no business telling you how to dress.' Mortimer's normally cheerful voice was now serious.

'Yes Dad, but do you see any other 25-year-old women wearing - '

'Don had no right! If he's ready for marriage, he wouldn't be asking!'

Cassandra shot her father a cold, icy stare. The same one Bella used to give him when he stayed up all night conducting scientific experiments in the attic.

'Dina Caliente never wears her hair in pigtails.'

Mortimer had no reply to that. The daggers in her eyes told Mortimer that his daughter knew about his date last week.

'Oh, Cassie. I meant to tell you.'

'You didn't need to. You didn't even call to say you weren't coming home til late.'

Mortimer softened his voice, and ran his hand over his neatly combed, grey hair.

'I'm sorry, Cass. It was one date. I wasn't going to tell you or Alexander until our relationship became more serious.'

Cassandra slammed a knife covered in butter onto the kitchen bench.

'More serious?' her voice was raised. 'You haven't been with anyone since Mom disappeared. You did the Woohoo with Dina on your first date!'

'Cass, keep your voice down. Alexander might hear-' Mortimer whispered exasperatedly.

'Can't you see Dina only wants your money?" Cassandra interrupted. "You were smart with all those other ladies."

"I know what it looks like, Cassie, but she's different from the rest.' Mortimer reasoned, trying to calm Cassandra by speaking gently. "She's smart, funny, and kind. Did you know she wants to build an orphanage in Strangetown one day?" Mortimer replied, trying to win over his daughter.

"She's also got fake breasts," Cassandra replied quickly. "How much do you think they cost Uncle Mike?"

Both Mortimer and Cassandra paused in memory of Michael, Bella's older brother and Dina's former husband. A couple of years ago, he had taken his own life in a cheap motel room downtown. In his final note, Michael wrote that Bella's disappearance and Dina's miscarriage had pushed him over the edge.

"Good morning, family!" Alexander's cheerful voice from the top of the stairs snapped Mortimer and Cassandra back to reality.

Alexander skipped into the kitchen and poured himself a juice.

"Why does everyone look so sad this morning? Was Grandma haunting the house again last night?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, Alex." Cassandra murmured as she finished preparing her lunch for the day. "And for the last time, ghosts aren't real."

"Yeah, they are!" yelled Alexander hyper-actively. "If Grandpa haunted you, you'd be happy, not sad. He always tells funny jokes. Grandma says nasty things."

Mortimer rolled his eyes. Hopefully this was just a phase that his son would grow out of. Though he couldn't help but wonder if it was best to discontinue the tradition of burying deceased family members on the estate.

"Nice hair, Cassie! Really suits you!" Alexander sang, as he danced around the kitchen.

"Thanks, Alex." Cassandra couldn't help but smile as she replied.

"Cass, would you mind dropping Alexander to school today?" Mortimer enquired. "I've got an important meeting on the other side of town."

"You better not be seeing you-know-who." Cassandra retorted.

"Who is you-know-who?" Alexander questioned as he crawled underneath the table to for no apparent reason.

Mortimer raised his eyebrow towards Cassandra.

"You-know-who is a lawyer who is helping me write my will."

"If you say so," responded Cassie. She packed her lunch into her backpack, and put on her lab coat. "Let's go, Alex. I don't want to be late for work."

Alexander ran into the garage, making spaceship noises the whole way. Cassandra pulled her backpack onto her shoulder.

"Stay away from those Caliente's. You know they had something to do with Mom disappearing." she said. With that, she turned and walked towards the garage.

Mortimer wisely chose not to reply, knowing his daughter was in a terrible mood now.


	2. Chapter 2: Don and Nina

Don Lothario awoke to his mobile phone alerting him to a text message. He rubbed his eyes, sat up and discovered quickly that his head was throbbing. The sun was bursting through the blinds, and his eyes burned with discomfort. _I'll never drink wine again,_ he scolded himself. Sensing an oncoming wave of nausea, he quickly pulled himself out of bed, only to collapse a few feet later, rolling his ankle in the process. In frustration, Don yelled out a few obscenities.

As he rose to his feet, Don noticed a beautifully manicured foot hanging out the sheets on the far side of his king-sized bed. _Which Caliente was it this time?_ Don wondered. There was no time to find out; the bathroom called.

Don hobbled downstairs to the bathroom, just making it in time to throw up into the porcelain bowl. After finishing, Don rested his head on the toilet seat. That was the last thing he remembered, before he awoke to the sound of water hitting tiles. As he opened his groggy eyes, he saw a naked, pale-skinned beauty stepping into the shower. _That doesn't look like Nina or Dina._ thought Don, confused, his head spinning. _Or Cassandra._

Don pulled himself up from the toilet with great effort. After rinsing his mouth and beard with water from the sink, he hobbled into the lounge room to view the damage. Two empty pizza boxes were strewn across the carpet, while three or four empty bottles of wine were resting on the coffee table. An empty condom wrapper wedged in between couch cushions caught Don's eye. He quickly grabbed it, and limped towards the kitchen to put it in the bin. _I can explain pizza and wine, but not that._ Don thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he notice someone in the kitchen.

"Good morning, spunk!" A voice called out. The olive-skinned, red-headed beauty was sitting at the kitchen table.

"Oh, hey!" Don suddenly became aware that he was still naked in the presence of Nina Caliente. The closest object was a pair of oven mits. Don quickly grabbed them to cover his private parts. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."

Nina giggled, and adjusted her legs so they were resting on the table. "I've seen it all before, Don. How many times have we done the Woohoo together?"

Don firmly held the oven mit in place, and didn't crack a smile.

Nina's smile turned into a stern look as the silence allowed the sound of water hitting tiles to permeate the room.

"Whose in the shower?" she asked.

Don was still trying to figure out who had stayed the night. The woman in the shower did not look like either Dina or Cassandra. This woman had to be new.

"It's not your sister." Don said. "If that's what you're thinking."

Nina said nothing, but she felt relief.

After a moment of silence, Nina quickly said, 'Your underpants are on the table.'

Don quickly spotted his boxers hanging off the table, and put them on. He hobbled over the other side of the table and sat down.

A packet of aspirin landed in front of Don.

"Take a couple. You'll feel better." Nina said, before rising from the table.

Nina made her way to the fridge, and pulled out a packet of frozen peas. A moment later, they landed on the table in front of Don.

Don propped his aching foot up on the table, and held the frozen peas to it. He wondered why Nina was at his house so early in the morning. The Caliente sisters were very "close " to Don, but they didn't usually turn up unexpected.

Eventually Don worked up the courage to ask.

'So… what are you doing here?'

Nina poured herself a glass of orange juice. She turned her head towards Don.

'I wanted to talk to you about our arrangement.'

'There's nothing to talk about until I marry Cassandra.' Don replied curtly.

Don and Kaylynn were distracted when they heard the shower turn off.

"Who is she, again?" Nina asked.

Don shrugged.

The bathroom door opened, and a fully-clothed, beautiful woman stepped out. Her hair was in a messy bun, hinting at last night's activities, but apart from that she looked fresh.

Don greeted his lover. "Good morning… Kaylynn."

Kaylynn timidly stepped towards the kitchen, and opened her mouth to say something to Don, when she saw Nina standing by the sink.

Her pale face turned crimson, and she quickly grabbed her handbag from the bench.

"Are you hungry?" Don asked, hoping to ease her embarrassment. "Would you like some breakfast?"

As she quickly made her way to the front door, Kaylynn stammered, 'I must be off now, or else I'll be late to the Pleasant's house.'

The front door opened and shut, and Kaylynn was gone. Nina laughed.

"She couldn't get out of here fast enough!" she remarked smugly.

"She's not like us, Nina. She's a good Sim. I don't think she's ever had a one-night-Woohoo."

Nina snickered, then took a long swig from her glass.

"What was her name again?" Nina enquired.

"Kaylynn. She wasn't expecting you to be here, Nina."

"Why are you getting so defensive? You don't have feelings for her, do you?" Nina grinned at Don, only to see him holding the frozen peas to his head.

"To be frank, I wasn't expecting to see you here either." Don replied with a serious tone in his voice.

"How do you know her?" Nina asked.

"She cleans my house." Don's hangover was getting to him. "Why do you want to know, anyway? The less you know about my Woohoo partners, the better."

"Not unless their surname happens to be Goth." Nina stated.

Don didn't respond.

Nina closed the fridge door, and wiped her mouth with her arm.

"How is Kaylynn in bed, anyway?" Nina said with a cheeky smile. "Or the hot tub? Or both?"

Don looked up at her, annoyed.

"You do realise I am marrying Cassandra for you and Dina, right?" he said, irritated.

Nina realised her comment was too close to home.

"And if we want this to work out, you can't just come over here any time you want." Don's voice was getting louder. "What if it was Cassandra who had stayed the night, and she woke up to see you here?"

Nina knew there was more chance of Dina turning into a PlantSim, but chose not to comment.

"And I can't keep messing around, getting drunk and woohooing with you every night! I was supposed to be at the hospital twenty minutes ago!"

"That's not fair, Don."

"I've called in sick too many times because of you!"

"You chose to Woohoo with Kaylynn last night! I had nothing to do with it!"

"I'm sick of doing all your dirty work for you!" Don was yelling now. "Why don't you just get a job for yourself? Or even better, why don't you try marrying into the Goth family? It's not as easy as you think!"

There was a moment of silence. Nina could not remember the last time Don has spoken to her like that.

"I know how hard it is." Nina said through gritted teeth. "I haven't been able to find a job since they discovered my parents are aliens. Everyone knows I had something to do with Bella's disappearance."

Nina stormed off upstairs to cool down.

Don regretted losing his temper. But what was said was said.

Minutes later, Nina appeared downstairs again.

Don took a deep breath.

"Nina, I'm sorry. But if I had confessed to my involvement, I wouldn't be able get you or Dina any money."

"I think we're both tired." Nina replied, not making eye contact. She walked towards the front door.

"Oh, by the way,' Nina turned back to face Don at the last minute. 'Here's your phone. I think Cassandra messaged you.'

 _Her message must have woken me up,_ thought Don.

Nina threw the phone to him, and left the condo. Don found he had received a picture message from Cassandra of herself. Instead of pigtails, her hair was tied into a crooked bun. _Thought about your advice from the other week. Do you like it? xoxo_ the message read. It wasn't exactly what Don had envisaged when he suggested Cassandra be a little more adventurous with her style. But at least she was trying. Don liked his women a certain way; it would take a while with Cassandra but at least he knew it could happen.

 _Luv it babe! U look amazing. Luv your sexy fiance xoxo_ he typed before pressing send, putting his phone down, and heading towards the shower.


	3. Chapter 3: Daniel and Kaylynn

Daniel Pleasant sat by the kitchen bench sipping coffee on his day off. The sun was shining. His teenage daughters were swimming in the backyard pool. His wife was at work. And his girlfriend was cleaning the house in a short dress.

"Why do you have to sit there while I'm scrubbing the floors?" Kaylynn asked, with a knowing smile on her face.

"The view's nice from here,' he replied with a similar smile on his face, stroking his ginger beard.

"I know exactly what you're up to, Daniel,' Kaylynn replied.

Normally Daniel wouldn't even talk to Kaylynn while his daughters were at home. His wife Mary-Sue was engrossed in her campaign to become mayor of Pleasantview. She worked long hours, and when she was home she was "too tired" to spend meaningful time with Daniel. His daughters Angela and Lilith were usually too busy either arguing with one another or spending time with their boyfriends to even have a conversation with their father anymore. They didn't seem to care, so neither did Daniel.

"You make my life so much better, Kay." Daniel's smile beneath his ginger beard was genuine. He quickly peered out the back window to make sure his daughters were distracted. Just in case. Lilith was hitting Angela with an inflatable giraffe. Seeing the coast was clear, he took Kaylynn in his arms, and planted a passionate kiss on her lips.

Kaylynn kissed Daniel back for a few seconds before pushing him away.

"What's wrong, my love?" Daniel said puzzled.

"I just wanted to know where you are at with Mary-Sue." Kaylynn said, scratching her head.

"Where I'm at?"

"As in, when are you going to leave her?"

Daniel frowned. He hated this question. It wasn't the first time Kaylynn had asked.

"Darling, you know I'm just waiting for the right time." Daniel replied weakly. "My girls are still in school, Mary-Sue's running for mayor, and my team have nearly made the play-offs. Now would be a terrible time to leave."

"You said that a year ago." Kaylynn said curtly.

"It might not be for a while, darling. The best I can do is promise you that it's going to happen. But not now."

It was Kaylynn's turn to frown.

"Look, Daniel," she cleared her throat. "I'm a young, attractive woman. I've got my whole life ahead of me. I can't keep waiting for you. In fact, I spent the night with someone last night."

Daniel's jaw dropped.

"You did what? I thought you loved me!"

"You can't complain! You're cheating on your wife!"

Daniel clasped his hand over her mouth, realising how loud she was speaking.

"I don't believe you!" Daniel hissed. "You're just saying that to make me jealous!"

"Why don't you ask Don what he was up to last night!"

Daniel gasped. "Don Lothario?"

"That's right, Daniel! I Woohooed with another man." Kaylynn stood tall with her hands on her hips.

"You had revenge Woohoo? Why would you do this to me, Kaylynn?" Daniel said, growing angrier and angrier.

"I just thought you would have left Mary-Sue in time for the Goth wedding."

"Why?"

Kaylynn's tone of voice softened. She lowered her eyes, and smiled as she played with a piece of her hair that cascaded down her shoulder.

"So… you know… I could go as your date. It could be our first official appearance as a couple."

Daniel smacked the palm of his hand to his forehead.

"That makes perfect sense, Kaylynn. You wanted to attend Don's wedding so you Woohooed with him." Daniel said sarcastically. "Probably the smartest thing you've ever done."

Kaylynn went silent, realising the hole in her plan.

"Not to mention the fact that Mary-Sue is the matron of honour!" Daniel added. "If we were separated by now, I would never have been invited."

Kaylynn's voice sounded like she was holding back tears.

"The point of all this is, I'm not waiting for you forever." Kaylynn's voice was firm as she swallowed. "I've given up everything for us. I could have found a steady job, another man and bought a house by now, but instead I'm working as your cleaner for a dismal amount of Simoleons just so I can see you!"

Daniel couldn't argue with that.

"I'm tired of waiting for you to pull your weight in this relationship."

Kaylynn paused, hearing the back door open. Lilith and Angela walked inside, up the stairs to their rooms, oblivious to Daniel and Kaylynn. Lilith called out, 'Dad, please tell Angela that Dirk is hotter than Dustin." Their voices faded, and Kaylynn added,

"We're through. Until you are single man."

Daniel was shocked. "Kay, you're not thinking straight." He grabbed Kaylynn's hand. "I know all this wedding talk is making you -"

"And I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch me like that while I'm working." Kaylynn stared straight into Daniel's eyes and ripped her hand away. "It's unprofessional."

With that Kaylynn, returned to scrubbing the floors. Daniel just stood there, unable to speak, move or do anything.


	4. Chapter 4: Darren

He hadn't planned on walking by Don Lothario's condo, but lately Darren Dreamer found his usual walking route was not long enough for him to deal with his thoughts. For the past six years, he had walked around Pleasantview every morning, usually to the park and back home. He had found that if he didn't clear his head, he wouldn't be as attentive to his work or his son Dirk. His friend Cassandra was marrying a man that Darren was not sure was right for her. _Why does that bother me so much?_ he thought. _Sure, I've had feelings for Cassie, but I would never act on them. Not after Darlene._ Darren tried to push the thought of his late wife to the back of his mind. If he thought about her for too long, he'd start crying. Tears would shed at the most inconvenient times. Darren had quit his office job and pursued painting as a business. If he cried, it was in the privacy of his own home office, not in front of his boss. In fact, Darren's most recent emotional outburst was when he was trying to get Dirk into private school. Needless to say, Dirk's application was rejected.

Darren met Cassandra five years ago when she found him crying in a change room at the local mall. He remembered how she listened to him and gave him a hug. They found a connection over their lost loved ones. Everyone else in Pleasantview seemed to have forgotten about Darren a few months after Darlene passed away. Cassandra had been catching up with him for coffee ever since.

Darren's thoughts were distracted when he saw Kaylynn Langerak quickly walk out of Don's condo, and straight towards him. _She must have started early this morning if she's finished already,_ thought Don, mindful of Kaylynn's work as a cleaner. As Kaylynn approached Darren, she was staring at the ground, deep in thought.

"Good morning, Kaylynn." Darren greeted Kaylynn politely.

Kaylynn looked startled when she heard Darren.

"Good morning, Darren." She stammered. Her usually tidy hairstyle was messy, and pulled into a loose ponytail.

"Is everything alright?" Darren asked, quizzically.

"Yep, everything's fine." Kaylynn glanced at her wrist. "Sorry, I can't chat today. I'm running late for work." Kaylynn picked up her pace and walked past Darren.

 _She's not wearing a watch,_ Darren thought, slightly amused.

As these thoughts floated through Darren's mind, he noticed a pink sports car in Don's driveway.

 _That's not Cassandra's car._ Darren was reminded of Don's reputation as a ladies man. _But surely he wouldn't cheat on her now. Not this close to the wedding._

Curiosity prompted Darren to find out more details. He quietly approached Don's house, and kept out of the view of the windows.

Making sure no one was watching him, Darren pressed his ear to the front door.

"I don't think she's ever Woohooed just for fun." That was unmistakably Don's voice.

 _Is he talking about Kaylynn?_ Darren contemplated, an intense anger growing in his gut. _But he's engaged to Cassandra!_

"The less you know about my Woohoo partners, the better." Don's voice said.

 _Absolutely disgusting,_ Darren seethed.

A female voice replied, "Not unless their surname happens to be Goth."

Darren needed to hear the rest now. They had to be talking about Cassandra. Talking about someone he cared for.

"You do realise I am marrying Cassandra for you and Dina, right?"

Darren realised Don was speaking to Nina, audibly gasped, then clapped his hand over his mouth. _Why would Don marry Cassandra for the Caliente sisters?_

 _"_ I haven't been able to find a job since they discovered my parents are aliens. Everyone knows I had something to do with Bella's disappearance."

Darren couldn't believe what he was hearing. Bella's case was closed a few years ago when they discovered Flamenco Caliente was running a Sim abduction network in Strangetown. Flamenco had passed away by this time, but the Caliente sisters' reputation was in tatters.

"Nina, I'm sorry. But if I had confessed to my involvement, I wouldn't be able get you or Dina any money."

 _No one would have ever guessed Don Lothario was ever involved,_ thought Darren.

Darren heard the front door unlocking.

In a panic, Darren lept up, ran across the road and dived in to a bush. He let out a whimper as thorns dug into his chocolate brown skin. As he adjusted his view, he saw Nina Caliente pull on a pair of sunglasses, get into her pink sports car, and drive away. It didn't appear that she'd seen him. _Phew,_ Darren thought. _But I've got to tell Cassandra!_


	5. Chapter 5: Brandi and Dustin

Brandi Broke blew raspberries at her two-year-old son Beau as she fed him a spoonful of yoghurt. In between mouthfuls, Beau squealed with delight and mimicked his mother, showering her in yoghurt. _At least he's not a fussy eater_ , Brandi thought. It wasn't easy to find things to be optimistic about in the Broke household. A widow as of three ago, Brandi was raising three sons alone. Her youngest son, Zane, was six months old, and sleeping in his cot. Looking after her younger sons took its toll on Brandi. She had slept for two of the last forty eight hours. Even if she had more time to sleep, Brandi didn't think she could. Worry plagued her mind over her teenage son Dustin. After his father's death, he had stepped up to the challenge of providing for the family. Dustin had found a job to work at night, but refused to tell his mother exactly how he earned money.

'If I told you, I'd have to kill you,' Dustin had replied, the first time she had asked. When she received the same response the next time she asked, Brandi worried that he wasn't lying.

A front door suddenly slammed open, and Dustin appeared, his hair sandy blonde hair ruffled and his eyes bloodshot and sleepy.

"Did you just get home from work?" Brandi said, surprised. "It's nearly 9 o'clock!"

"Double shift. Extra hours, extra money." Dustin mumbled as he slowly made his way to the refrigerator.

"I thought you had left for school early when I saw you weren't in bed." said Brandi confused.

"One of guys called in sick. Had to cover for him."

"Dustin, you can't skip school because of work."

"DO YOU WANT FOOD TO EAT OR NOT?" Dustin roared.

Brandi froze. Her eldest son had an attitude problem, but had never spoken to her like that.

A cry from the back room broke the tension.

"You've woken Zane up," Brandi said irritated, and quickly went to the back room to attend to her infant son.

Dustin put some bread in the toaster, and rubbed his head. He hadn't told his mother yet, but there was little chance he'd pass his classes this year. Working at night left him too tired to pay attention at school. Seeing no point in further study, he'd accepted extra shifts in the evening.

Dustin knew what social workers did to children whose families couldn't provide for them, and shuddered as he scraped what he could out of a nearly empty jar of peanut butter.

The government had given the Broke family no assistance in their time of crisis, and this only added to Dustin's anger. _Screw them,_ Dustin thought as he sat down next to his little brother at the table. He took a bite from his toast, tore off a piece and placed it in front of Beau.

Brandi returned from the bedroom, clutching her wailing youngest son to her chest.

"Did you really work?" She asked. "Or did you see Angela?"

Dustin put his piece of toast down.

"I worked!" Feeling his voice rising again, he took a deep breath and calmed his voice.

"Angela had a violin lesson. Her parents would never have let her see me last night. She's got an exam today."

"You've been seeing an awful lot of that girl, lately,"

"And what's wrong with that?"

Beau picked up the piece of peanut-buttered toast and threw it on the floor.

"I just don't see how you have time to work, go to school, and date at the moment."

Dustin couldn't be bothered replying. They'd had this argument many times before. He deserved a bit of happiness after everything he was doing to keep the family together. Why couldn't she see that?

Brandi walked over the kitchen, bouncing her son in her arms, trying to calm him. She peered out the window of their tiny home, and gazed at the rest of Pleasantview. In the distance, she saw the Goth Manor. It was hard to miss, being the largest house in the vicinity. Mortimer Goth was rich, and his children were intelligent. They didn't have to work like dogs just to make ends meet. _Why can't our lives be like that?_ Brandi thought of Cassandra's upcoming wedding to the handsome Don. Brandi hadn't been invited. Almost everyone else she knew had received an invitation. The thought hurt but she brushed it off. She hadn't really spoken to either Cassandra in a while. _Sometimes people just grow apart,_ she reasoned.

Brandi's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Dustin getting out of his chair.

"I'll sleep for a few hours, and go to school at noon." Dustin gave her a half smile.

"Okay, darling." Brandi smiled back, and Dustin retired to his room.

Zane had stopped crying, and Beau seemed content to play with what was left of the peanut-buttered toast.

Dustin would doze off a soon as his head hit the pillow. His mother would give him a kiss on the cheek, tuck in him, and turn off his alarm, so he could spend the day sleeping and regaining strength for the long night of work ahead.


End file.
